A Gift Unexpected
by mariannewrgt
Summary: When Emma Swan, a 22 year old pianist, goes to Ireland to perform on a tour with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she may come back with a lot more than just a souvenir.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Goodbyes and Mistakes

"Don't worry, David, I have everything I need." I told my brother for the umpteenth time that day, as he offered me an extra toothbrush for me to put in my bag. It wasn't the first time I would travel on my own, but I've never been overseas before, and certainly not for such a long period of time. I would be in Ireland for a month, after a crazy year at work.

After graduating last year in piano performance in Juilliard, New York, I moved back to Storybrooke, Maine, to start teaching music to kids aged 6-11 at the local public school. However, every once in a while I was invited to perform as the soloist with orchestras from different cities. This time, the Boston Symphony Orchestra invited me to perform three concerts in Dublin, Ireland. We would arrive in Dublin on May 4th. The concerts would be held on May 9th, 16th and 23th, with a week between each for rehearsals and a whole week for us to enjoy the city after the last concert.

"Emma, are you sure you packed an extra toothbrush in your carry-on bag?" He insisted.

"Yes David, I did," I nodded, rolling my eyes. "And even if I didn't pack it, I'm pretty sure they do sell toothbrushes in Ireland. It's not like I'm going to a place in the middle of nowhere where they don't sell the normal things we use in the US."

"David, are you torturing Emma _again?" _Mary Margaret intervened as she entered my bedroom.

"I'm not _torturing _anyone, I'm just making sure Emma has all the stuff she might need while traveling." David answered, annoyed.

"Right… As if Emma can't pack her things on her own!" Mary Margaret replied, laughing. "Come on David, leave her alone so she can finish packing without you snooping around. Go watch some TV."

"But…"

"No "_but's"_, David! She's a grownup! Now leave!" She interrupted with a smile.

"Okay! But Emma, if you need anything…"

"You'll be in the living room, watching TV. I know, David." I said with a groan as he left the room.

I went back to finding the clothes I wanted to take with me for the trip.

"So, are you excited?" Mary Margaret asked.

I looked at her, smiling. Of course I was excited. There was some sort of mystery about Ireland that always made me want to go there, and the invitation to perform in Dublin was a great opportunity. An opportunity I couldn't miss.

"I think _excited_ is an understatement, Mary Margaret." I answered with a smile as I opened another drawer. "I mean, with all the pianists around, what are the odds? What are the chances for me to be chosen to perform in Dublin? I feel like it's way too much luck to be true."

"You don't see yourself very clearly, do you?" She asked with a frown.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"I mean that you have no idea how good you are at performing. Of course there's a reason why they chose you, out of all the pianists aound the country! It's because they know how good you are. I can't even play "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" without messing up, let alone those gigantic concertos you can play by memory! _By freaking memory! _That's why they sent that letter to you, and not me!"

We both laughed at her comparison between my concertos and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". Mary Margaret couldn't play much on the piano, although I tried to teach her a few tunes several times. David wasn't any better.

Anyway, I realized she was probably right as I thought about the letter I received a couple of months ago.

_Flashback_

_"Emma, you've got mail! It's on the kitchen table." David said as I entered the house after school._

_"Thanks, David! I'll go get it right now."_

_As I entered the kitchen, I noticed the big brown envelope with my name on it. I turned the envelope in order to see who the sender was._

"_The Boston Symphony Orchestra"_

_Wow. That was a new one. When I moved back to Storybrooke, a few orchestras still invited me to perform with them every once in a while. But I've never been invited to perform with the Boston Symphony. It was one of the "Big Five" orchestras in the country, after all._

_I teared open the envelope and poured its contents on the table. There were the scores for three concertos: Piano Concerto no. 5 by Beethoven, Piano Concerto no. 27 and Piano Concerto no. 21, both by Mozart. Also, there was a letter explaining the purpose of the concertos:_

"_Ms. Swan,_

_The Boston Symphony Orchestra was invited to be performing in Dublin, Ireland, next May. We will perform the three piano concertos we sent you the scores of. It would be an honor to have you as our guest soloist, and of course all travel expenses are covered. In case you accept our invitation, we are going to Dublin on May 3rd and staying there for a month. During this period, the concerts will be held with a week for rehearsals between each, and a last week for you to simply enjoy the city._

_Please give us a response as soon as possible._

_Best regards, Rumford Gold (Conductor)."_

_End of Flashback_

I sent back my response to that letter the following day. Of course I was going. The schedule was great, in the middle of summer vacations, so I wouldn't have to train a substitute teacher for the school. After letting Mr. Gold know I was going with them, I had to drive to Boston for rehearsals every other weekend, but the concertos were sounding pretty good by now.

With Mary Margaret to chat with, I finally finished packing my bags, and we both went to the living room to watch TV with David.

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the light in the room as the alarm went off. I stood up and went straight to the bathroom to take a shower.

Twenty minutes later, I was walking down the stairs to have breakfast with my brother.

"Hey, Irish Girl, did you sleep well?" David asked as he entered the kitchen. I rolled my eyes with a smile at the nickname he called me.

"I'm going just spending a month in Ireland. It's not like I'm marrying some Irish guy or something, David. But answering your question, yes, I did sleep well, thank you very much."

"I _seriously _hope you're not marrying any Irish guy, "He laughed. "After all, I don't want you to move to Ireland. I just got you back"

"I'm happily living and working in Storybrooke, so I'm the one who doesn't want to move there." I added with a wink.

"So… excited?" He asked.

"Yes! I mean, I'm going to spend a month in Europe. Not that I'll be able to actually see anything out of Ireland. But still…"

"It's Europe." He completed with a smile.

We spent the rest of the breakfast talking about the trip. After we were both done, I went back to my room to grab my bags. As I walked down the stairs to the living room, I heard Mary Margaret's voice along with David's.

"Mary Margaret, I thought you'd be at the hospital by now." I said, surprised. Mary Margaret had a job as a teacher at the school, but she volunteered at the hospital every Sunday.

"I decided to go a little later today so I could give you a hug before you went to the airport." She said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you! It really means a lot!" I said. I really liked Mary Margaret and her loyal and caring personality.

David started dating her after he woke up from a coma three years ago. We both had a hard time after the accident that put him in that condition. Mary Margaret was already a volunteer at the hospital back then, and she was in his room when he finally woke up. She was the one who called me to let me know he was awake.

They started getting closer after that, and eventually started dating. Mary Margaret was this happy, optimistic person, and she was really good for him. As a bonus, she quickly became one of my best friends.

"Sorry to make this so short, but we have to go if you don't want to miss the airplane, Emma." David warned us with a smile.

"Enjoy your trip, Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed, pulling me into a hug.

"I will." I smiled.

"I really hope you meet some cute guy over there, so your time in Ireland will not only be amazing, but also romantic." She whispered teasingly in my ear.

I rolled my eyes at her. If there was something I was definitely _not _looking for in this trip, that was romance. Not that I was opposed to date someone, but I didn't want to get involved with anyone, not at this moment, when I wanted to focus on my new job.

I got into the car as David gave Mary Margaret a quick kiss.

"What was Mary Margaret whispering to you?" David asked with a raised eyebrow as he got into the car.

"She was just whishing me luck with the concerts." I lied.

"She wouldn't have to whisper that." He replied with disbelief.

"Don't push it, David." I said with annoyance.

"All right," He said, defeated. "But just because I won't get to teaseyou again for a month."

I laughed, raising an eyebrow.

When we got to the airport, David helped me carry the bags to the check-in area. After dispatching my bags, we walked together to the departure lounge, where David couldn't enter with me.

"Hey, come here." He said pulling me into a bone crushing hug. "I'll miss you, Emma."

"I'll miss you too, David."

"Take care, okay?"

"Okay. But considering I lived on my own in New York for almost five years, I'm pretty sure I can survive a month in Ireland." I teased.

"Right. Except Ireland isn't New York."

"Ireland is definitely not New York." I laughed.

At this point, a woman from the airline spoke, letting us know it was time to board the plane.

"Goodbye, baby sister."

"Bye, David."

* * *

I slept through almost the entire flight.

After claiming my bags, I went to the exit, searching the crowd for the driver who was supposed to pick me up at the airport. After a few moments, I saw a man holding a sign with my name on it and moved towards him.

"Are you Emma Swan?" He asked politely with an Irish accent.

"Yes." I answered.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Swan. I'm Steven. I'm responsible for driving the orchestra members to the hotel and to the concert rooms. Did you have a nice flight?"

"Yes, I slept for the most part of it, so I didn't see much."

"Well, anyways, welcome to Dublin. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Thank you."

I followed him to a bus in the parking lot. Steven drove through several streets until we parked in front of a georgian building. The sign at the entrance said "Castle Hotel". It seemed like a good place to stay.

I thanked Steven for the drive and proceeded to the check in counter.

"Good morning!" Exclaimed a sympathetic young woman. "What can I do for you today?

"Hi. I believe I have a reservation here." I answered.

"All right. What is your name, please?"

"Emma Swan."

"Emma Swan…" She repeated, searching the name on the computer. After a few moments, she frowned. "I'm sorry, but are you sure the reservation is under your name?"

"Well, at least that's what the person who made the reservation said to me. Maybe Mr. Gold made the reservation under his own name?" I thought out loud.

"Gold… I believe we have a guest with this name. He is a musician, if I'm not mistaken." She pondered for a moment, searching the computer again. "I'm sorry again, but I'm afraid there is only one reservation under his name."

"I'm sure it's some kind of mistake. Do you think you can call him and let him know Emma Swan arrived today?"

"Sure. Just hold on for a second." She started to call the number for Gold's room. After several attempts, someone finally answered the phone.

_ "Good morning, could I please speak with Mr. Gold? Thank you... Hello, Mr. Gold, this is the receptionist. I'm very sorry to bother you, but there's an Emma Swan saying there's a reservation for her in this hotel, but unfortunately I couldn't find her name... I'm sorry again, but her name isn't on the list you gave the hotel... Oh, okay then."_

"He is coming down." She addressed me with a sigh.

After ten minutes a very upset Gold stepped off the elevator with Belle French by his side. Belle was only 21, and in spite of being so young, she was a prodigy at the violin, and quickly became a _spalla_ at the Orchestra.

Despite the age difference, it was no secret that Belle and Gold were seeing each other. And doing other things other than just seeing each other too.

"Good morning, Miss Swan." Gold said annoyed as he got closer. "What was so urgent that couldn't wait a few more hours for you to have someone calling me?"

"Good morning, Gold. Belle, how are you?" I said with a smile, hugging her.

"Hi Emma, I'm fine. How was your trip?" Belle answered, and went back to stand by Gold's side.

"It was good, thanks. Answering your question, Gold, it seems that I don't have a reservation at this hotel."

"Of course you have, Miss Swan. I personally made sure your pretty name was on the list of musicians who would stay here. So, young lady," He addressed the receptionist. "What went wrong?"

She turned the computer in our direction so we could see the list of reservations for the hotel.

"I-I'm sorry, Mr. Gold, but I'm afraid there's no one called Emma Swan here. Something must have gone wrong when you sent the list, or-or maybe you forgot to put her name on it" The receptionist stuttered.

"I think I made myself clear when I said I personally put her name on the list. But it doesn't matter right now. I believe, however, that you can find another room for Miss Swan?" He asked.

"I'm really sorry, but we don't have any available rooms right now. The entire hotel is booked." She said, looking apprehensive. "We can, however, try to find another hotel in town that does have an available room for the period of time you are requesting."

"Find a room for her, then! And it better be in a good place." Gold said in a cold tone.

She made several calls while we sat at the lobby. After each call she seemed more and more nervous. I knew Gold was a good person, but he could be very scary when he wanted to.

During the orchestra rehearsals I realized he really cared about the musicians, despite what a lot of people thought. He cared whether or not we were too tired, and he was always making sure everyone was understanding his directions.

Gold was, however, cold and distant in front of others who were not part of the orchestra. The musicians became kind of his family, that's what Belle told me once.

Near an hour later, the receptionist approached us with a paper in her hands. She seemed even more apprehensive than before.

"So, did you find a room somewhere?" Gold asked.

"Yes…" She stopped, as if trying to find the right words to use. "I found a room at the Island View Hotel... It is a very cozy hotel, and they have a great staff. Here is the address." She handed me the paper she was holding and disappeared, muttering something about needing to double-check if the new breakfast attendant was getting everything right.

There was something about her tone that just wasn't right. If it was such a nice hotel, why was she so much nervous?

"Gold, can you call Steven and ask him to come and get me there?" I asked.

"I'll do it right away" He replied, picking his phone from his pocket and dialing the number.

_"Steven, it's Gold... I need you to get back at the Castle Hotel... Yes... They made a mistake and Emma Swan needs to go to another hotel... Yes... The address?" _He motioned for me to hand him the paper_. "It's on the Coast Road... What? What do you mean that you can't drive that far? You are beeing paid to drive the orchestra members wherever they need... It will cost that much more? No, thank you very much... Okay..."_ He hung up.

"Well, apparently we have a little problem." Gold said, looking very pissed and shooting daggers though his eyes in the direction the receptionis went earlier. "The _lovely and cozy _hotel you'll be staying is in Malahide."

"What does it even mean?" I asked, confused and worried at the same time.

"It means it's in a town nearby, not in Dublin. It's an 11-mile drive, and that's too far for the bus driver we hired. It's not very far, but too far for the damn driver" He said with a groan.

After Gold he and Belle went back to the room they were sharing, I got into a cab to Malahide, wherever that was.

Twenty minutes later, the driver dropped me in front of what seemed, in fact, a cozy hotel.

For the second time that day, I carried my bags inside and walked to the counter. It was empty. I started checking my phone for messages as I waited, when a masculine voice with a heavy accent interrupted.

"Can I do something for you, love?"

* * *

A/N: thank you very much for reading! Please, review and let me know what you think! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - First Meetings

"Can I do something for you, love?"

I looked up to see a pair of blue eyes staring at me.

"Actually, yes." I answered, tiredly. "The receptionist from the Castle Hotel, in Dublin, called to know if you had an available room..."

"Oh, sure!" He interrupted. "She seemed a bit nervous, though. Something about needing a room in a closer hotel and no luck in doing so for such a long period of time. What's your name, love?"

"Emma Swan." I answered. He started to fill in some information on the computer. "And I'm not your _love_." I added with a sigh.

"Well, the offer stands." He said with a smirk. "And there's no need to be rude."

"Look, I'm exhausted. I just arrived from the airport and then had to wait for an hour at a hotel lobby because there was some misunderstanding with my reservation at said hotel. So if you could go on with this a little bit faster, I'd appreciate..."

"All done. No need to have your panties in a twist." He interrupted again, handing me a key. "This is your key. Room number 103. Just go upstairs and turn right. If you need anything, just give a call to the reception, the extension line is 223."

"Finally." I said with a smile. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He smiled back. "And have a nice stay."

* * *

After I organized my things in the room, I opened the messenger to text David.

_Emma: Hey. Just checking in. Arrived at the hotel. Had a problem with the reservation, but everything is fine now._

A few minutes later, the phone buzzed with his response:

_David: Really? What happened?_

_Emma: Apparently my name wasn't on the reservation list for the hotel everyone is staying in. Had to call Gold early in the morning to solve the problem._

_David: I bet he wasn't happy about that part._

_Emma: Definitely not! He was in a terrible mood. Belle was with him though, which I believe helped keeping him in check._

_David: That girl must really love him, to be dating that man._

_Emma: I believe she does._

_David: So, how did it go? Did they manage to get you a room, after all?_

_Emma: Kinda. They didn't have any available rooms, so I had to go to a different hotel._

_David: Really? But is this new hotel okay?_

_Emma: So far, it's nice and cozy. The only problem is that it isn't located in Dublin._

_David: WHAT?_

_Emma: The hotel is a neighboring town called Malahide. It's 11 miles from Dublin, a 20-minutes drive, and the bus designated for the orchestra can't pick me up here for the rehearsals. So basically I'm on my own._

_David: I hope they are covering your taxi expenses._

_Emma: They are. But considering I'll have to wake up 20 minutes earlier than necessary to get to Dublin, it sucks. Also, I'll probably miss out on social interactions during breakfast, lunch, etc., since everyone else is together at the same hotel and I'm not._

_David: I'm sure it does suck! Emma, I'll have to go now. Gotta go back to work. Mary Margaret sends her love. She stopped by the station for a quick visit. Keep me updated. :)_

_Emma: I will. Say 'hi' to Mary Margaret for me. :)_

_David: Just did._

I looked at the clock to see it was almost noon, and I still had to get lunch and go back to Dublin for our first rehearsal.

* * *

The restaurant, like the rest of the hotel, was nice and comfortable, and had a great view from its windows. I ordered pasta and a small salad for lunch.

After I finished eating, I went back to the lobby, looking for a cab to drive me to Dublin, just to find out there was none.

"Anything I can help you with, love?" The Irish blue-eyed receptionist asked.

"Since you're so willing to help, yes." I answered. "I'm wondering if there are any cabs available in this town or I'll just have to walk all the way back to Dublin, _love_." I mimicked his accent. Two could play the same game.

"As much as I'm quite certain you'd enjoy the view as you walked, there _are, _in fact, cabs in Malahide." He said, walking towards the phone. "Let me call one for you."

He called what it seemed like a taxi company and gave them the address.

"There's a driver on his way." He said with a smirk.

"Thanks." I answered, walking to wait for the cab near the entrance.

The cab arrived faster than I thought. I gave the driver the directions for the concert room where the rehearsal would take place and closed my eyes, going through the piano concerto we would rehearse today in my mind.

* * *

May 9th, 2015

The week passed much faster than I thought it would.

To my surprise, I didn't see the receptionist from the day I arrived anymore.

I was finishing my hair in the dressing room with Belle by my side, who was chatting animatedly about the private tour Gold gave her.

"Rum lived in Dublin for almost thirty years before he moved to the US. That's how he knows the town so well." She said with enthusiasm.

"Well, that makes a lot of sense, considering his accent. I did guess he was from Ireland before, but I didn't know he was specifically from Dublin." I pondered.

"Emma, the town is so beautiful! It's _so _bad that you're not staying with us at the same hotel... We have so much fun together at meals, yesterday after dinner everyone started singing the theme to today's concerto, each musician singing their part. It was so much fun. I really wished you were there with us." She said with a sad face.

"Tell me about it." I replied, annoyed. "I'm getting seriously bored in my hotel room. Yesterday I found myself making paper cranes with a napkin."

"That sounds absolutely boring, Emma." Gold appeared at the doorway. "Belle, darling, you look lovely."

"Thanks, Rum." Belle answered, blushing slightly.

"Anyways, I'm sorry to interrupt the interesting chat the two of you seem to be having, but you have three minutes to be onstage."

"Okay." I said standing up.

* * *

The concerto was great. The crowd gave a standing ovation, and several people came to the stage to take pictures with the musicians.

That was when I noticed a familiar face coming into my direction.

"I would have never guessed, from our little interaction last week, that you could play like that, love." The receptionist from the hotel said, approaching me with a smile, seeming genuinely surprised.

"And I would have never guessed that you would be the type of person who goes to classical music concerts, _love._" I said, again mimicking the way he spoke.

"Never judge a book by its cover." He answered. "By the way, I don't think we've met properly. Killian Jones." He offered his hand in a courteous manner.

I was about to reply when a little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old, came running into his direction. She wore a pink dress that covered her knees and had deep blue eyes, matching his. Her long dark hair was split in two pigtails.

"Look, the violinist gave me an autograph!" She said excitedly, showing him a small pink notebook with a signature in it.

"That's amazing, sweetheart." Killian answered in a loving manner, getting down to her height to see the notebook properly.

I looked at the little girl with curiosity. Killian didn't look like he had a daughter. But he also didn't look like someone who enjoyed classical music. I wondered if he was married. He didn't seem to be married; at least he didn't have a ring. Maybe divorced?

Just then the little girl noticed my presence, standing shyly by Killian's side.

"Hey, do you think your beautiful pink notebook can contain another autograph?" Killian asked her with a smile, trying to break the ice.

"Would you sign it for me?" She asked with a toothy grin, handing me her notebook.

"It would be an honor!" I replied with a smile. "What's your name?"

"Olivia. Olivia Jones." She answered confidently. "Do want to use my pen? It's pink too."

"Of course. I like pink too!" I said, taking the pen she offered and writing in her notebook. "Can you read it or do you want me to read it for you?"

"I can read already." She said proudly. "But thank you."

"Really?" I asked.

She nodded.

"_Dear Olivia, it was a pleasure meeting you tonight. Love, Emma Swan." _Olivia read with confidence. When she finished, Killian kissed her cheek.

"How old are you?" I inquired, curiously. "You can read very well."

"Thank you. I just turned 6." She said with a smile. "My birthday was last Wednesday, on the 7th."

"Well, happy birthday!" I congratulated her.

"Thank you. But it's a little late for congratulations, I suppose." She said with a frown.

"Olivia..." Killian reprimanded.

"It's okay." I smiled at him. He smiled back.

"It's getting late, Olivia." Killian stated. "I'm sure your mom will start calling me if I don't return you home soon. I told her we'd be back by now."

"Oh." Olivia said. "Thank you for the autograph, Miss Swan! Have a good night."

"You are welcome, Olivia." I said smiling at her. "And you can call me Emma."

"Okay." She answered. "Bye, Emma."

With that, Olivia and started swirling and dancing between the seats, heading towards the exit.

"Thank you for that." Killian whispered. "She really enjoyed it."

"You're welcome."

He turned around to leave, but then stopped for a moment, as if he was deciding something.

"I'm heading to Malahide; do you need a ride? I just have to drop Olivia first, but I can leave you at the hotel afterwards." He asked, turning back.

"No, thank you." I lied. I would have to pay for another cab, but suddenly I felt butterflies in my stomach at the prospect of driving with him. "I still have to change and I don't want you to get in trouble with her mother because of me."

"Don't worry about it. We are already late, so go change and we'll wait for you here." He said nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm sure Olivia would love to have your company for a few more minutes."

I thought about it. Finding a cab that late wouldn't be so easy, after all.

"Okay, then." I said. "I'll just run to the dressing room and be right back."

He nodded.

I changed as fast as I could. I really didn't want to cause any trouble. If he was divorced, I didn't want to be the reason for a potential fight between him and his daughter's mother.

As I went back, now in much more comfortable clothes, I noticed him sitting in one of the chairs, Olivia by his side playing with his phone.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Are you sure this won't get you in trouble?" I asked apprehensively as he rose from the seat.

"Don't worry. I already called Olivia's mom to let her know we'd be a little late." He said reassuringly, touching my arm. I felt as if a wave of electricity flowed through me the moment his hand laid on my arm. He must've felt my reaction, because he immediatly removed his hand, dropping it to his side.

We got into his car in silence. Olivia was probably tired, and I suddenly started to feel self conscious about being there with them.

I decided to at least try to break the heavy silence.

"Hey Olivia, did you enjoy the concert?" I asked her, looking at the back seat.

"Yes!" She answered animatedly. "You play the piano so beautifully!"

"Thank you." I said.

So far, so good.

"When I grow up, I want to be a pianist, just like you, Emma!" Olivia said excitedly.

I smiled at that.

"Do you play any instruments, Olivia?" I inquired out of curiosity.

"Yes." She said shyly. "I play the piano too. But not so well as you do."

"Olivia, why don't you tell Emma about your graduation in your second piano book?" Killian finally joined the conversation.

"Did you finish your second piano book already?" I asked with enthusiasm.

"Yes, and I wasn't as hard as I thought it would be."

"At this pace, I'm sure you're going to be the best pianist in the world very soon!" I encouraged, turning my neck to look at her. She gave me a huge grin. "For how long have you been taking piano lessons?"

"6 months." She said matter of factly. "Actually, I have my first piano recital next Saturday."

"That's great! Are you excited?"

"Yes," She replied. "Do you want to come?"

I looked at Killian, trying to figure out by his expression whether or not he would be okay with it.

"Pretty please?" She insisted.

"She'd love to have you there, but it's okay if you don't want to go, I'm sure you have something else to do." He mouthed silently, so Olivia wouldn't hear.

I thought about it. If Killian didn't have a problem with me going...

"You know what," I said before I changed my mind. "I'd love to go."

I looked at Killian for reassurance. He was staring at me, his face blank. Did I make a mistake by saying I'd go?

"Thank you, Emma!" Olivia said.

At this point, Killian parked his car in front of a large two-storey house with a porch.

"It'll only take a minute." He said.

"Okay."

He got out of the car and opened the door for Olivia to get out as well.

"Goodbye, Emma." Olivia said, waving with her hand.

"Goodbye, Olivia. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She replied, still looking at me as Killian walked her to the door. She waved her hand one more time.

He knocked at the door twice. A beautiful woman, with a long brown hair in waves falling though her shoulders, opened the door.

She picked Olivia up and exchanged a few words with Killian. He touched her arm caringly as he said a few more words, then kissed Olivia's cheek and left. If he was divorced, did he still have any feelings for his ex-wife? I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I had absolutely nothing to do with his life, and he could have feelings for whoever he wanted.

He started driving again in silence, as if deep in thoughts. Without Olivia there, I had no idea how to break the silence this time.

He parked in front of the hotel and looked in my direction.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," He said, breaking the silence. "To the recital, I mean." He added when he saw my confusion.

"Don't worry, I'd love to go. Unless... unless you don't want me there?"

"No, no, it's not that." He quickly corrected. "It's just that if you have other plans..."

"I don't have any plans." I muttered.

"Well, it will make Olivia's day." He said with a smile. He paused for a second, and then added, laughing. "You made quite the impression with my niece."

His niece? Wait, so she wasn't his daughter?

"I thought she was your daughter." I couldn't stop myself from saying out loud.

"My daughter?" He guffawed. "No, no. Olivia is my brother's little girl. He is out of town on a business trip, so his wife, Annie, is on her own with Olivia and their baby girl. I decided to take Olivia to the concert because she loves music, and Annie couldn't take her because of baby Sarah. Also, whenever Liam is out of town, I try to make sure his girls don't need anything."

So the way he touched the woman earlier was just a friendly gesture? For some reason, I felt relieved at that.

I thought about the first moment we met, almost a week before.

Back then he didn't sound like this caring brother in law, or this uncle who would drive his niece for a concert just because she liked music.

"I think I may or may not have misjudged you a little bit." I said, embarrassed.

"That can happen, love. As I said, 'don't judge a book by its cover.'" He said with a smirk.

I laughed.

"Why don't we start over?" I think I misjudged you too, thinking you were just some picky girl who desperately wanted to hang out in Dublin and couldn't get a last minute hotel room nearby."

"Star over?" I laughed. "Okay."

"I'm Killian Jones, nice to meet you" He offered his hand.

"Emma Swan." I said, putting my hand between his and shaking it.

Then he stared into my eyes again, those blue eyes piercing me.

"I should go. It's getting late." I said, motioning for the door.

"Wait," He said, still holding my hand.

"What?"

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Swan." Then drove my hand to his mouth and kissed it slowly, without taking his eyes off me.

The touch of his lips on my hand made me feel that spark of electricity again.

"Emma." I said.

"What?"

"You don't have to call me _Miss Swan_." I clarified.

He laughed.

"I'll see you around, Emma."

"See you around, Jones."

* * *

A/N: Please let me know what you think and leave a review! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Change of Plans

We were talking animatedly during the break we took at the rehearsal on Monday afternoon.

"The concert last night was pretty good." Belle agreed with another violinist. "I just hope the other two go as smoothly as this one."

"Me too." I said, thinking about the following events from last night.

My mind started drifting off to the sweet Olivia Jones and her uncle Killian, whom I realized wasn't half as bad as I first thought.

Initially I didn't think much of him, but only a really caring person would drive 11 miles just to put a smile on his 6 year old niece.

And I had to admit, the way he treated her was heart melting.

"Ladies and gentleman, I need you attention, please." Gold interrupted my thoughts with a cold tone of voice.

He gave a moment for everyone to stop talking before he continued. Did anything bad happen?

"I have good and bad news," He started. "The bad news is that our last concert had to be cancelled."

Murmurs of disapproval filled the room.

"Why, Gold?" A cellist asked.

"They had a problem with the concert room schedule." Gold explained. "Apparently they mistakenly had two events for the 23rd, and considering we already had two other concerts scheduled, they decided it wouldn't be a problem to cancel the third."

"But it's not fair." I stated.

"Life is not fair, dearie." He said resignedly.

"Are we going back home sooner, then?" A flute player asked, annoyed. "What about our free week?"

"That's where the good news is." Gold responded with a smirk. "Since the plane tickets and the hotel reservations are non-refundable, we are staying until June 4th, as previously scheduled, and you get an extra free week to enjoy this lovely town."

Several people shouted their approval. Sometimes I wondered if, instead of respected musicians, the group wasn't a pack of wolves, only trying to have fun everywhere.

Gold cleared his throat, signaling he still wanted to say something.

"I also have something important to discuss with you." He said to the group. "We already performed Beethoven's Emperor Concerto last night, which is a strong piece. Since we only have another concert, they suggested we perform a piece with more appeal instead of Mozart's Concerto No. 27."

"And what piece would that be, Rum?" Belle inquired with a frown.

Everyone waited for his response.

"Mozart's Concerto No. 20." He started. "We already performed this particular piano concerto last season in Boston, so it won't be unfamiliar territory for us."

A few people started to complain. I cringed.

"But this time we only have a single week to rehearse, and with a different pianist." The cellist from before stated.

"Swan, have you ever performed Mozart's No. 20 before?" Gold addressed me.

I took a deep breath as I started to get flooded by memories. Memories from the accident.

After three years, it still hurt to even think about it.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me, waiting for a response.

"Yes." I finally answered. "It's been a long time ago, but I have."

"Do you believe you can do it again?" Gold inquired, looking at me. He probably sensed there was more history to it.

I took a deep breath before answering.

"Yes".

"Great. It's settled then. We are performing Mozart's No. 20." Gold said. "Everyone, the scores for the Concerto are here, for those who might need it." He added, motioning for a pile of papers.

I walked back to the piano, with the intention of practicing a few problematic parts from the Concerto I knew I would have to work on. Also in an attempt of blocking those feelings and memories that were trying to come to the surface.

"Emma," I heard Belle's voice behind me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I said. Belle raised an eyebrow at me, but decided on not pushing the subject. "Just tired. Yesterday's concerto left me pretty much exhausted." I added.

"Tell me about it!" She laughed. "When I got back to the hotel, all I could think about was a warm bath and a good night of sleep."

* * *

We only went through the first and the second movements of the Concerto.

When I finally got back to the hotel, almost 7:00 p.m., I was physically exhausted and emotionally drained. And hungry. My last meal was a cookie at the small break we had during rehearsal.

Although I was so tired, I didn't want to go to my room just yet, as I knew being alone would only make me relive those memories I've been trying to avoid the whole day. But I didn't have much of a choice.

As I walked through the lobby, I noticed Killian Jones sitting at the counter. He was looking at the computer with concentration, probably busy.

Just then he looked up and noticed my presence. His mouth opened up in a grin, and he stood up, walking in my direction.

"Hello, Swan," He started. "I didn't see you the whole day."

"I was in Dublin rehearsing, and just got back". I said tiredly.

"You look like you didn't have something to eat in hours." He stated. "Want to grab something?"

I didn't have many options if I didn't want to go to upstairs to my room, so I decided to take the opportunity.

"Sure." I answered. He raised his eyebrows as if he were expecting a different answer. "But are you sure you can just leave like that? Isn't your boss going to be pissed if you skip work?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"You really believe I'm just a receptionist of a small town hotel, don't you?" He asked cockily.

"Well, aren't you?"

"Wait a second."

He laughed and walked to the counter to speak to a girl who was there that I didn't notice before. He came back with a smirk.

"Let's go."

* * *

We sat at a small pub about 5 miles from the hotel and Killian was ordering our food.

He turned back to me as the waitress left.

"So, will you tell me what that little stunt was about?" I finally asked.

"What stunt, love?"

"The _I'm not just a receptionist _thing back at the hotel."

"Oh, _that. _I thought you'd let that one go." He laughed. "But here we go."

I waited, patiently.

"I can leave whenever I want because I actually own the place." He said, looking at me.

I snorted.

"If you own the hotel, why on earth do you work as a receptionist?"

"To keep myself busy, I guess." He answered matter of factly. "I own the place along with my brother; we inherited the hotel when our father died. Liam does all the bureaucratic work and I help run the place, usually giving a hand to Tink, the girl at the reception, because I enjoy the human contact. There's not much to do actually."

He paused, drinking some of his Coke. I waited for him to continue.

"Except when American blonde pianists start whining about having to be so far from the delightful Dublin." He mocked.

I laughed and smacked his arm playfully.

"So, was the rehearsal productive?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Sort of." I said with a sigh. "We had to start over an entire Concerto."

"Why? I may not understand much of this, but I thought you guys rehearsed concertos way before the scheduled date of the performances."

"We do, but they had an issue with the schedule of the concert room."

I told him the whole story about the last concert being cancelled and the change in the repertoire.

"That's a shame." He said after I finished speaking. "Olivia will be quite sad to miss the concert. I was going to take her again to the one on the 23rd."

"Can't you take her next Sunday?" I inquired.

"She has a piano party or something like that with her little mates next Sunday," He explained. "To celebrate the recital."

"Oh. She'll be sad about it."

He nodded in agreement.

Suddenly I had an idea.

"Hey, do you think you can drive to Dublin this Friday afternoon?" I asked at once.

"Yeah... Do you need a ride?" He inquired nonchalantly.

"No." I quickly replied. "I was thinking that maybe you could take Olivia to watch the rehearsal. We will probably just go through the whole piece once or twice, and I'm sure Olivia would love to watch it."

"I thought you guys only had closed rehearsals."

"We do, but I'm certain I can convince the conductor to allow two special guests."

"So I'm special now?" He smirked.

"Shut up."

At this point the food arrived. We both ordered cheeseburgers, because according to Killian, that pub had the best in town and I couldn't be in Malahide and just not eat it.

"So, where do you live in the US?" He asked curiously.

"Storybrooke, Maine. Not many people have heard of it." I said with a shrug.

"Not many people have heard of Malahide either."

"Now _that _is true, buddy." I laughed.

He laughed in agreement.

"Do you live there on your own or...?"

"I live with my brother David."

"So you have a brother."

"Yes." I smiled as I thought about David. "We are very close."

"That's good, you know. To be close with your family. Liam and I are like that too. Especially after our father died."

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. It was a long time ago. Mom is really close to us too, but she currently is living in Wales, Scotland." He assured with a calming smile. "What about your parents, are you close with them too?"

"They passed away three years ago."

"I'm really sorry about that." He said touching my arm. Again, that spark.

"Thank you."

* * *

Killian insisted on paying the bill. We left the pub and he drove us back to the hotel.

We sat at the now emptied lounge. Killian was telling me stories of the little adventures he had with his brother as a child.

"Wait, you really stole _all the grapes _from your uncle's vineyard?" I asked bewildered.

"Yes. We thought it was a good weapon to use against it other when we were playing war." he laughed.

"And what did your uncle do when he found out?"

"He didn't find out. Not that _we_ were the thieves, anyway."

"Please don't tell me someone else got the blame!"

"If it makes you feel any better, we never lied. We just never confessed it was us." He laughed.

"Who did he thought that did it?"

"He thought it was the work of Robin Locksley, our best friend. The boy was our age, and he had the habit of stealing fruits from people's farms and giving them to poor kids around the neighborhood. He was a little obsessed with Robin Hood's story as a child."

"They did share the first name."

"Yeah, they did. And Robin took great pride in it back then." He said amused. "What about you, any crazy stories from childhood?"

"Not really. I spent too much time playing the piano to care about stealing things." I teased.

He rolled his eyes.

"How old were you when you started taking lessons?" He inquired.

"I was 4. But I started playing long before that, actually." I started, smiling at the memory. "David started taking piano lessons when he was 6. I was just 3 back then, but I loved to watch his lessons. According to him, I enjoyed the lessons much more than he did."

Killian smiled, encouraging me to keep going.

"There was this time when the piano was left open, and I decided to sit on the bench and practice the exercises David's teacher had asked him to, just for fun. Suddenly he got into the room and found me playing his little pieces and, according to him, I did it better than he did. Since that episode, whenever mom asked him to practice, he would put me to practice his pieces instead."

"Your brother actually managed to pretend it was him practicing when it was actually the 3 year old you?"

"Yes, and no one never even imagined it was me. Only when the teacher said David wasn't progressing as he should, almost a year later, my parents started to think something was wrong. One day they decided to hide in a corner to see David's practice session. Mom asked David to go practice, and as usual, he called me and I started practicing for him while he played with his toys. What he didn't know was that dad was hiding in a corner of the room, watching everything."

"I bet they were astounded to find out the truth."

"They were. My father called my mother into the room to see _David's _practice time. She couldn't believe her eyes. After that, I was the one taking piano lessons from David's teacher, and he was finally free from the piano. They did have, however, a serious conversation with David about lying and pretending things."

"Hold on, _you_ didn't get in trouble? Only your brother did?" Killian huffed.

"Of course not. I was just four!" I defended myself. "For me, I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just playing the piano when my brother asked me to."

"Spoiled much?" He teased.

"Oh please, like you were the best role model, you little grape thief!" I provoked back.

"Grape thief? I prefer _dashing rapscallion_ if we are getting on a nickname basis." He smirked flirtatiously.

I laughed, smacking his arm, trying to wash that smirk out of his face.

As we kept talking about various subjects, I started to realize how easy it was to talk to Killian.

He was funny, interesting, dangerously handsome and stupidly flirtatious, and we didn't run out of things to talk about. Time was flying by, and when I noticed, it was almost 2 a.m.

"It's really late and I have an early rehearsal tomorrow." I said standing up.

"I should probably get going too." He said, following my movements.

He walked me in silence to my door.

"Have a good night, Killian." I said, searching my purse for the key.

"Have a good night too, Swan."

When I finally found my key, I looked up to see his face mere inches from mine. I didn't notice him moving closer. The air got thick with the tension that filled the corridor.

He was looking at me intently, as if trying to decide something. He raised his hand and moved away a lock of my hair that was falling on my eyes.

I knew what was coming.

And I also knew the consequences and implications of that.

"Goodnight, Killian." I said again, in an attempt of running away.

"Goodnight, Emma." He said, awkwardly turning around to leave.

I inserted the key into the door hole and opened it, taking a step into the room.

"Hey, Emma." Killian spoke before I closed the door. I didn't realize he was still there.

"Yeah...?" I turned to find him on top of the staircase, looking at me with a smile.

"See you around." He said.

"See you around, Killian." I answered, finally closing the door and taking a deep breath.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please make my day and let me know what you think! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Convincing

"Let me get this straight." Gold said slowly in a challenging tone. "You want me to allow your boyfriend and his 6 year old niece to watch the rehearsal this Friday."

It was break time on Tuesday's rehearsal. I was trying to convince a very grumpy Gold to allow Killian to bring Olivia to watch the rehearsal on Friday.

Assuming from his tone, I was having little to no success at all.

"He isn't my boyfriend, Gold." I stated. "I'm just friends with him."

"I don't give a damn if he is friends with Prince William or the queen herself!" Gold said with sarcasm. "This is called a _closed rehearsal _for a reason. It means it's _not _open for the general public."

I sighed.

"What is not open for the general public?" Belle joined the conversation, taking Gold's arm.

"The rehearsal." Gold explained. "And our _dear _soloist here wants to bring her boyfriend and his niece to watch it."

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Emma." Belle said surprised. "But I _do _think it's lovely that you want him to watch the rehearsal."

"I _don't _have a boyfriend." I replied, pressing my fingers to the bridge of my nose. "He's just a friend. A friend who has a lovely 6 year old who can't be on the concert Sunday, and whom I'm sure would love to be able to watch the rehearsal, if only _your _lovely boyfriend would allow it."

Belle blushed at my words. Even though everyone was very much aware of her relationship status with Gold, she still got self conscious whenever someone brought it up.

"As I previously mentioned, Miss Swan, It's a _closed rehearsal_." Gold stated again.

"Rum, I'm sure you could arrange an exception." Belle intervened, massaging his neck. His expression relaxed instantly.

"Belle, you know the rules." Gold said, annoyed.

"I do, but I also have a soft spot for children. Which I know you have too." She said softly. "How old did you say the child is, Emma?"

"She's 6." I answered.

"Yeah, just imagine a 6 year old kid running through the musicians in the middle of the rehearsal." Gold said dryly.

"She is a very well-behaved child." I stated in her defense.

I didn't know Olivia that well, and honestly I had no idea how she'd behave during the hour long rehearsal. But she did come to the concert last week. And I didn't hear any comments about a misbehaved child on the crowd. So I decided to push my luck as far as I could.

"See? And just think about what a lovely thing it'll be to put a smile on this little girl's face." Belle continued. "Maybe I can even teach her how to play a couple of notes on the violin."

"She already can play the piano. Actually, her first recital is this Saturday." I reinforced with a smile. "I'm sure the violin will be an easy stretch for her."

"All right, all right." Gold said in a defeated tone. "They can come."

Belle smiled at me in victory and kissed Gold's cheek.

He blushed profusely and she walked away, laughing. I never thought I'd see the day Rumford Gold would blush.

I started laughing when he looked at me with a half serious half amused expression.

I immediately supressed a smile.

"Just because I'm allowing your guests to the rehearsal doesn't mean I want a kindergarten here. The kid's behavior is your responsibility." He said warningly.

"It won't be a problem, Gold." I stated.

"I hope so." He paused for a second. "And think about this whole thing as a personal favor. One that I truly intend to collect."

I nodded. I knew Gold wouldn't do a favor without asking for another one in return.

And with that I started to walk to where I left my bag, with the intent of getting a snack.

"One more thing, Miss Swan," He called before I was out of his reach. "I hope I can count on your discretion about Belle's little display of affection."

One of the rules Gold and Belle had was that, during working hours, they would pretend they barely knew each other, and everyone knew that. However, Belle sometimes forgot about that little rule whenever she got too excited about something.

"Of course." I answered, trying to supress a laugh.

* * *

I was getting ready to sleep when my phone's messenger buzzed.

_Mary Margaret: Hey, Emma! How is your trip going around? Miss you, girl!_

_Emma: Everything is okay! I miss you too! How is everything back home?_

_Mary Margaret: All is fine! What about the concerts? Performing like a champ as usual?_

_Emma: Haha. You overestimate me a little too much. But the first concert was okay._

I decided on not mentioning anything about Killian.

_Mary Margaret: And I know you have another one coming on. Excited?_

_Emma: Yeah. A little nervous, though. They changed the repertoire on a last minute notice._

_Mary Margaret: Since when you get nervous about performances? And why the sudden change?_

_Emma: They had to cancel the last concert. So they wanted a stronger piece to be performed next Sunday. Apparently Mozart's No. 27 wasn't good enough._

_Mary Margaret: And what are you guys performing now? Pathétique Sonata by Beethoven?_

_Emma: Pathétique Sonata is a sonata for piano solo, not an orchestral piece, Mary Margaret. __But I'm glad you at least managed to match a piece with its actual composer. :)_

_Mary Margaret: What can I say? I'm not a pro. But I do like Pathétique Sonata. I just couldn't remember which piece it was. But I remembered the name. And the composer. Anyway, what are you performing now?_

_Emma: Mozart's No. 20._

_Mary Margaret: I have absolutely no idea what piece that is, but I'm sure you'll rock it!_

_Emma: Thank you, Mary Margaret! Look, it's getting pretty late here in Ireland. Can we talk another time?_

_Mary Margaret: Sure! Best of luck with the Concerto! I'll be sending my best positive thoughts to you Sunday night! :)_

_Emma: Thank you! Say 'hi' to David for me._

_Mary Margaret: I will. ;)_

To say I was nervous about Sunday's performance was an understatement. There was a reason why I never performed that particular Concerto again. I couldn't handle the memories it triggered.

The rehearsals weren't a problem. To rehearse a piece and to actually perform it were two entirely different situations. And I had no idea how I'd feel in a stage performing that piece again.

* * *

I had a troubled sleep that night. It took a while for unconsciousness to finally take over, and when it finally did, I had a restless sleep.

When the alarm went off, I was actually glad to finally leave the bed.

I took a shower, brushed my teeth and pulled my hair into a ponytail.

After putting on a jeans and a red long-sleeved blouse, I went downstairs to get a cab for the rehearsal.

Killian Jones was at the counter talking animatedly with the receptionist I now recognized as Tink, from the other day. She was beautiful, with a very short blond hair that reminded me of Tinker Bell.

"Good morning," She said with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"Don't worry, Tink," Killian interrupted before I could respond. "I've got this one."

"Okay." She said and walked away to sit at a table in the corner.

"Good morning, love." Killian said with a grin. "Let me guess, you need a cab to Dublin."

"Yep." I smiled back. "Think you can get me one?"

"Of course I can." he answered matter-of-factly. "But the problem is, if I get you a cab, you'll lose the opportunity of having my delightful company during the 20-minute drive there."

"Right." I replied, raising an eyebrow. "The only problem is that you're not driving to Dublin right now, and I have exactly 40 minutes to be in the concert room for the rehearsal. And I also still need to stop somewhere to grab a cup of coffee."

"Who said I'm not driving to Dublin today?" He protested, crossing his arms. "I was precisely explaining to Tink that I had to drive to Dublin to grab a few supplies for the hotel. I don't see a reason why I couldn't give you a ride."

"Look at you, all gentleman-like." I teased.

"I'm always a gentleman." He stated nonchalantly. "And about that cup of coffee, I happen to know a very nice place. For future reference, you're not the only one who needs coffee in the morning."

* * *

Killian drove 5 minutes down the road until he stopped in front of a small building with a sign that read _"The Best Coffee in Town"_. Quite the interesting name for a coffee shop.

I've waited for almost 10 minutes in the car when he appeared with two cups of a steaming coffee in his hand and a small paper bag in the other.

He opened the door and got in, handing me one of the cups.

"Sorry to take so long, the place usually isn't so crowded at this hour." He apologized.

"No problem." I said, taking a sip of the coffee.

He stared at me, waiting for my reaction. The coffee was amazing. It had the traditional taste of coffee, but with a slight touch of chocolate and something else I couldn't identify.

"Good?" He asked, grinning, as he started the car.

"Absolutely." I answered, taking another sip. As the hot liquid went down my throat, I couldn't stop myself from moaning out loud.

"That good?" Killian asked, stunned.

I just nodded, blushing as I realized what I've just done.

"Don't worry, that was also my reaction when I first discovered that place." He tranquilized me, laughing.

"What's so different in this coffee that makes it so good?" I asked curiously.

"That is something I was never able to find out so far." He shrugged. "The owner always refused to share their secret formula when I asked. And believe me, I was pretty convincing trying to extract this particular piece of information."

"Well, that sucks." I grimaced. "I'll never be able to replicate the taste then."

"No one ever managed to do it so far, so don't feel bad about it. It just means you'll have to visit Malahide more often to get a cup of this delicacy." He laughed.

I snorted, but didn't reply. I didn't know what to think of his last sentence. Was that his way of saying I shoud come back to visit his town after I went back to the US? Or was he only joking?

He drove a few minutes in silence, then turned the radio on.

"So, I talked to the orchestra conductor." I broke the silence, also changing the subject. "It's all set for Friday."

"Now that's some good news!" He said enthusiastically. "I'll set everything up with my sister-in-law, then."

"Is your brother still out of town?" I asked curiously.

"Yes. He's arriving Saturday morning, just in time for Olivia's recital."

"Is she excited about it?" I inquired.

"Yes. A bit nervous, but she's excited."

"She's going to do just fine." I reassured.

"She will. And she's really happy that you're going to be there." He added. "I mean, if you're still going."

"I am." I said with a smile, noticing a little bit of uncertainty from his part.

A few minutes later he arrived at the parking lot that gave access to the concert room.

"Thank you for the ride, Killian. I really appreciated it." I thanked him.

"You're welcome to use me as a cab driver anytime you need." He quipped.

"You shouldn't offer that, I might get used to it." I teased.

"The offer still stands, love."

Before I got out of the car, he handed me the paper bag he bought in the coffee shop.

"What's this?" I asked raising an eyebrow at the bag.

"I figured that since you didn't have a cup of coffee so far, you probably didn't have anything to eat as well. We can't have you starving through the day now, can we?" He explained nonchalantly. "So I got you some food. _The Best Coffee in Town _also has other things other than coffee that are also pretty good. Try the croissant, it's amazing."

I felt surprised and touched at the same time that he was making sure I was fed. Usually, the only people who would do that were my brother, Mary Margaret and Ruby, my best friend, whose grandmother also happened to own a dinner.

"Thank you, Killian. For everything." I said sincerely, getting out of the car.

"I'll see you around, Emma." He said with a smile.

"I'll see you around, Killian." I laughed, closing the door.

* * *

A/N: Please leave a review! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Rehearsal

I woke up to my phone ringing incessantly. I looked at the clock on the bedside table to see it was 2:30 in the morning.

I stretched my arm to table trying to locate the phone. When I finally reached it, I answered with a groan.

"This better be urgent." I warned whoever was on the other side of the line.

"_You sure aren't on your best mood._" David's voice teased.

"David? Why on earth are you calling so _late_?" I demanded, enhancing the last word.

"_Come on, Emma, you can't be serious that you're _already_ in bed._" He laughed.

I couldn't believe my brother had forgotten about the time zone difference. Trust David to do something like that.

"It's two in the freaking morning, David." I sighed.

I turned the bedside table lamp on and sat on the bed, figuring out that since I was already awake, I should probably make an effort to give my brother some attention.

"_I'm so sorry, Emma, I totally forgot about the time difference_." He apologized, clearly trying to hold a chuckle.

"I can see that." I snorted. "So, what is so urgent you couldn't just text?"

There was a small pause before David finally spoke.

"_Mary Margaret mentioned you were nervous about Sunday's performance._" He started. "_You _never_ get nervous about performances, Emma. You didn't get nervous not even in your first recital as a child. That's why I called. Are you doing okay?_"

"I'm fine." I lied, sighing. "It's just that they decided to change the repertoire on the last minute, that's all."

"_Mary Margaret told me that part too._" He paused for a second. "_But I'm sure there's more to it. You're just not telling me._"

I knew there was no point in keep lying to David. He knew me too well, and most of the times, he could tell, just by the tone of my voice, when I was withholding something.

"The new concerto." I said with a sigh. "It's Mozart's No. 20."

There was a pause as he took in the meaning of what I've just said. Mary Margaret had no idea of what that particular Concerto meant for me. But David certainly did.

"_Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry._" He said sympathetically. "_Are you sure you want to do it? I mean, I'm sure Gold will understand if you..._"

"I'll do it, David." I interrupted. "I can't just never perform this Concerto again. I need to move on. For me. For you. For mom and dad. They wouldn't want me to do stop doing anything because of what happened."

"_I know they wouldn't Emma, but they also wouldn't want you to put such a heavy weight on your shoulders if you don't feel you're ready for that._"

"David, I really need to do it." I replied. "It's been three years. I'm just nervous about it. But I'll be fine."

"_Are you sure?_" He asked worriedly. Of course David would worry.

"Yes."

"_Emma, always stubborn. Well, it's really your choice. Just know that I'm here for you, okay?_"

"Thank you, David. It really means the world to know I can count on you." I replied, smiling.

"_Anytime._"

"You know you're an amazing brother, right?"

"_Of course I know, but it's always good to hear it._" Even though I couldn't see him, I just knew he had a smirk on his face.

I yawned loudly, still sleepy.

"_I'll let you go back to sleep now._" David said. "_Just promise me that you'll call if you need anything, okay?_"

"I promise, David. And thank you." I thanked him again.

"_Bye, Emma. Take care, baby sis._"

"Bye, David." I hung up, laughing.

I put my phone back on the bedside table, turned off the lamp and went back to sleep thinking how lucky I was to have such a caring brother.

* * *

As I walked through the lobby I noticed Killian seated on one the armchairs near the reception.

He stood up and started walking in my direction as he saw me.

"Good morning, love." He opened a smile.

"Good morning, Killian." I answered, smiling back at him.

"Do you need a ride to the rehearsal?" He offered with a grin.

"Do you need to get supplies in Dublin _again_?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," He said nonchalantly. "But since I'm free this morning, it would be a pleasure to drive you there again."

"Killian, I..."

"Come on, Swan, it's just twenty minutes in the car with me." He interrupted as he saw my hesitation.

"I don't mind having your company for twenty minutes." I replied. "I just don't want to be a burden for you or anything."

"Trust me, love, you're far from being a burden." He said, caressing my arm reassuringly. "And before I forget, hold on for a second, I've got something for you."

He went behind the balcony and picked up a cup of coffee and a brown paper bag.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Am I wrong to assume you didn't have any breakfast again?" He asked, handing me the coffee cup and the bag.

I sighed, as we motioned towards the door.

"Thank you." I smiled, taking a sip from the coffee as we got into his dark blue Sedan. "You really didn't have to do that."

"I figured that if I wanted you to have dinner with me tonight, I had a better chance if I asked when you didn't have an empty stomach. So I stopped by _The Best Coffee in Town _on the way here." He blurted.

"Is this you asking me out?" I asked amused.

"That depends." He replied, starting the engine. "_Would you_ go out with me?"

"Since you gave yourself the trouble of going to _The Best Coffee in Town _just to get me food, I might actually consider the idea."

"Would it help if I said the place was even more crowded than yesterday and that I had to stay nearly 20 minutes on the line to get the coffee?" He asked, raising his brow.

"Now I might consider it even more seriously." I stated with a grin, taking another sip from the coffee.

"Take as much time to think you need, love. We have all the way to Dublin for you to consider the idea." He said laughingly, his eyes hopeful.

We drove a few minutes in silence. I took the opportunity to think about the whole dinner thing.

Would it mean anything? We could go out as just friends, right? And Killian was definitely the kind of person I'd like to be friends with. Even though I knew there was a spark we could turn into something more, friends can have dinner together. Right? It didn't have to mean a date or anything more.

"I talked to Annie last night, by the way." He broke the silence. "It's all set for tomorrow afternoon."

"That's great!" I said with enthusiasm. "Is Olivia excited?"

"Annie said Olivia couldn't stop bouncing up and down for at least an hour after she told her about the rehearsal." He said amused. "I guess she had a hard time trying to put the kid to bed last night."

"I can imagine." I laughed. Then something occurred to me. "Olivia won't be completely restless at the rehearsal itself, will she?"

"Are you worried the conductor might have to kick us out of the room?" Killian asked with a laugh.

"Well, she _is _just 6." I replied. "She might get bored and start wiggling around."

Killian guffawed.

"What?" I snorted. "Look, I happen to know kids this age, and trust me when I tell you it's _not _their thing to sit still for over an hour."

"Well, I happen to know Olivia since the was a baby, and trust me when I tell you Olivia can sit still for much more than an hour if she's really interested in something." He responded. "Moreover, I'll be there the whole time. At the first sign she's bored or something, _if _that happens, I'll take her outside until she's ready to go inside again. But considering how interested she was at the concert last week, I highly doubt this time will be any different."

"Thank you." I sighed, relieved.

"Don't worry, Emma. Everything will be just fine." He reassured, parking the car in the same spot from the previous day.

"Thank you again for the ride, Killian." I smiled. "Again, you really didn't have to do this."

"You're welcome, love." He smirked. "But perhaps a little gratitude is in order."

"Well, that's what the _thank you_ is for." I teased.

"Come on, Swan! What about that dinner, huh?"

I took a deep breath before answering. I'm not sure if it was the smirk, or the blue of his eyes staring into mine with so much intensity.

"Fine." I said, before I could chicken out.

He opened the biggest grin I've seen so far, his expression showing how much he was satisfied that I've agreed to go out with him.

Maybe I was trying to keep things inside the friendship zone. But judging by his expression, I could see he clearly wasn't. Actually, now that I thought about it, after the possible almost kiss we had yesterday, I realized I was the one keeping us from going somewhere else. But I also wasn't sure I could take that step to change the way things were.

"Excellent, Swan. Can I pick you up here at seven?"

"Yeah, seven works for me." I replied with a smile.

"See you around, love."

"See you around, Jones."

* * *

After having spent the entire day rehearsing, we still couldn't get the last movement of the concerto completely right.

One of the violinists was on the verge of a breakdown. Everyone was stressed beyond imagination. It was already almost 6 p.m. and we had no idea when we'd be able to leave.

I used the 5-minute break Gold gave us to call the hotel, in an attempt of letting Killian know I wouldn't be able to go out with him tonight. Even if we did manage to leave before seven, I was way too exhausted to go anywhere.

"Island View Hotel, Tink speaking" The receptionist said. "How can I help you?"

"Hi Tink, this is Emma Swan; I'm a guest at the hotel." I answered. "I need to speak with Mr. Killian Jones. Is he by any chance available right now?"

"Hi Emma!" Tink said in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry, but Killian just went home. Is this something someone else may be able to help you with?"

"Not really..." I replied with a sigh.

I wasn't sure why we didn't exchange cellphone numbers. But it was surely biting me in the ass.

"Thank you, anyway." I said with a sigh. Then an idea occurred to me. "Do you think you could pass him a message, just in case he shows up again later?"

"Of course! Anything I can do to help!" She eagerly responded.

"Tell him I won't be able to make it tonight. And that I'm really sorry. He will understand." I decided on not giving her more details. "Also tell him I'll explain later."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"No, that's all, thank you, Tink." I said. "You're a life saver."

"Happy to be of help, Emma! Have a good night."

"Good night to you too." I replied, hanging up.

I could only hope Killian would go to the hotel and get my message before coming all the way to Dublin to pick me up at the rehearsal in vain.

* * *

As I closed the door to my room, I noticed a small piece of folded paper laying on the floor.

I unfolded it, realizing it was a note from Killian.

"_Emma,_

_I did get your message._

_I suppose you got caught up at the rehearsal and couldn't make it on time._

_Don't worry; we still can have dinner another time, if you're still willing to go out with me. :)_

_Have a lovely night. See you tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it._

_\- Killian."_

I had to admit that I was also looking forward to the following day.

After rehearsing until nearly 10:00 p.m., we finally managed to get the last movement of the concerto played without trouble. Chances were tomorrow's rehearsal wouldn't be long.

As I laid down in my bed, waiting for sleep to take over, I started to think about Killian. He was a caring and selfless person. Not to mention impossibly handsome. And after all, in two weeks I'd be back home.

Would it be so bad to have some romance during this trip? Maybe Mary Margaret was right, after all. I didn't have to come with strings attached. Just two weeks of a few nice moments with a decent Irish guy. Then I'd be home, and back to my routine.

* * *

"Everyone in your places, please." Gold said authoritatively, trying to get everyone ready for us to start the afternoon rehearsal. The musicians were all scattered through the concert room, chatting animatedly.

"Miss Swan, are your beloved guests actually coming or not?" Gold directed me, as everyone started taking their seats.

"They are." I answered with certainty. When Killian drove me to Dublin that morning - yes, he had insisted on driving me again, with a cup of coffee and a paper bag containing foodin his hands I couldn't say _no_ to - he said he and Olivia would be there by 2:00 p.m., after the lunch break the orchestra had.

Gold was about to start the rehearsal when one of the back doors opened and Killian and Olivia quietly walked in.

They settled themselves in the middle of the front row seats, Olivia waving her hand and smiling at me. I smiled back and waved at them, discreetly.

* * *

As if by some kind of miracle, the entire piece flowed from beginning to end. No interruptions from Gold, no mistakes from anyone.

When the Concerto was finished, even Gold was speechless, with a proudly expression on his face.

The silence was only broken by two tiny little hands clapping animatedly on the first row.

Gold turned back to see Olivia on her feet, with a huge grin, clapping enthusiastically.

An intimidated expression took over Olivia's beautiful features as she realized Gold was staring at her.

I was expecting he'd demand her to sit down and be quiet, so he could give directions for us to play any parts that maybe he thought we should go over again.

But then Gold did the least expected thing. He smiled at Olivia and turned back to us, motioning for us to stand and bow at the little girl's ovation, as if there was a real crowd in the room. Then he went to my side and congratulated me and Belle, pretending it was a real concert, where the conductor was expected to greet the soloist and the _spalla._

The grin on Olivia's face grew even wider and she started clapping even harder. Killian smiled at me, mouthing a quiet _thank you_.

I smiled back at him, mouthing _you're welcome_.

"May I have everyone's attention, please," Gold requested. Everyone looked at him intently, waiting for him to speak. "I'd like to congratulate every one of you for today's rehearsal. It was absolutely worthy of the lovely audience we have here this afternoon."

Many people smiled widely at his remark. I guessed no one was really expecting his compliment.

"Anyways," He continued. "I believe we have here a young pianist, who has her first recital tomorrow."

He turned back to look at Olivia, who was now sitting shyly on Killian's lap.

"What's your name, dearie?" Gold asked her sweetly. Apparently Belle was right. He _did _have a soft spot for children, after all.

"Olivia." She answered in a quiet voice.

"Olivia, you look beautiful this afternoon." He continued with a smile. She was wearing a purple dress that covered her knees, a pink pantyhose, and her dark hair was again split in two pigtails.

"What are you performing in your recital tomorrow?" Gold asked her.

"Minuet in C, by Mozart." She answered with conviction.

"That was one of my favorite pieces to play when I was your age." Gold stated. "Would you give us the honor of performing your Minuet for us this afternoon, Olivia?"

She looked at Killian for reassurance, who nodded at her with a grin.

Killian helped her climb to the stage as I stood up to let her sit at the piano. I went down the small staircase to sit by Killian's side.

Olivia sat at the piano with a great posture and prepared her hands with the grace of a pianist who was doing it for the umpteenth time.

"Can I start?" She asked Gold.

"Whenever you're ready." He said, smiling.

She took a deep breath and started the familiar melody of Mozart's Minuet in C.

I knew that Minuet very well. It was one of my first pieces by the composer as a child.

She was about to start the repeated section when Gold motioned for Belle to get ready with the violin.

When Olivia started the piece for the second time, Belle accompanied her with a lovely improvisation on the violin, guided by Gold's baton. Soon, the cellists joined the melody. Not long after that the rest of the orchestra started filling the melody with ornaments and a very complex harmony.

Olivia seemed to be enjoying herself immensely. She never faltered, playing with the concentration of a professional.

I turned to Killian and noticed the expression on his face. Like the proud uncle he was, his face was the purest expression of joy, to see his niece having such a special moment.

When Olivia finished the piece, she stood up, grinning widely, and thanked Gold and the musicians.

She was about to go down the stairs to join Killian and me when she stopped with a startled expression and turned back, blushing profusely.

She bowed to us and to the orchestra, smiling as everyone clapped. The musicians started laughing at her cuteness.

"I forgot to bow." She explained herself with a frown when she reached us. "My teacher said you can't perform and forget to bow!"

"I'm sure your teacher won't mind." I assured her. "I forgot to bow in my first recital too."

"Really?" She asked, sitting in Killian's lap.

"Really." I said with a smile. "I was so happy I didn't mess up that I ran back to my seat I soon as I finished the piece."

"What did you play on your first recital, Emma?" She inquired.

"The Wild Rider, by Schumann."

"I don't know that piece yet." She said with a frown.

"I'm sure you'll learn it one day." I smiled. "But for now, I think you're an excellent performer."

"Killian, did you see? I performed with the orchestra." She gave a toothy grin.

"I did." Killian responded with a smile, kissing her cheek. "And you did an excellent job. I think you looked as good as Emma up there." He motioned with his head toward the stage.

I smiled at how caring and loving he was with Olivia. I wondered what an amazing father he would make if he had any children.

"Thank you." Olivia replied, leaving Killian's lap and running towards Belle, who was motioning for her to get closer.

"Emma, do you think you have to stay much longer?" Killian asked. "I just need drop Olivia at my brother's house, but I can give you a ride back to the hotel afterwards."

"Actually I think we are done for today." I said with a smile as I noticed that all the other musicians were gathering their instruments, getting ready to leave.

"You have the sweetest niece ever." Belle approached us at that moment with Olivia by her side.

"Thank you." Killian said.

"Killian, this is Belle, our _spalla._" I introduced. "Belle, this is Killian."

"Nice to meet you, Belle." Killian smiled.

"Nice to meet you too." She responded. Belle had an expression I couldn't quite place.

"Olivia, are you ready to go?" Killian addressed her.

"Yeah." She said. "Goodbye, Belle. And thank you for accompanying me."

"You're very welcome, Olivia." Belle said with a warm smile. "And good luck on your recital tomorrow."

"Thank you." She answered, grinning.

"Bye, Emma, bye, Killian!" Belle said, staring intently at us.

* * *

Olivia kept talking about how much she had enjoyed playing with the orchestra as we got into the car.

When we were on the middle of the way to Malahide I noticed she was way too quiet for a 6 year old. I turned back to see a sleeping Olivia in the backseat.

"Is she out?" Killian asked amused.

"Yes." I answered.

"It's impressive how kids are." He stated. "One moment they are talking and running like there's no tomorrow. A second later, sleeping like rocks."

"Do you like kids?" I asked with curiosity.

"Love them." He said smiling. "When my sister-in-law got pregnant I don't know who was the happiest: my brother for being a father, or me for being an uncle."

"What about you? Do you see yourself with kids in the future?"

"Hopefully. I'd like as many kids as the woman I marry will give me." He laughed.

Of course Killian would be the marriage and kids type.

"What about you? Do you see yourself being a mom someday?" He asked quietly.

"One day, hopefully, I guess." I smiled.

"I'm sure you'll make a wonderful mother, Emma."

"Thank you. You'll make a wonderful father too." I said with sincerity. If his behavior with his niece was any indicator, he would be the best father in the world.

Killian parked the car in front of Olivia's house. He picked her up so she wouldn't have to wake up to walk inside.

The same woman from before, who I now assumed was Annie, his sister-in-law, opened the door, picking Olivia in her arms. Killian kissed Olivia's cheek and answered something Annie asked. Whatever he said, it made her laugh.

Then she stared intently in the car's direction, saying something that made Killian blush.

Annie went back inside with Olivia in her arms and Killian walked back, getting in the car.

"Annie wanted to know how it went." He said, starting the car. "She couldn't believe Olivia managed to play with the orchestra. She wanted to come here and thank you personally, but I told her it wasn't necessary."

"It was a very pleasurable afternoon for me too." I replied, smiling. "I'm the one who's supposed to thank y_ou_. Having Olivia today at the rehearsal was such a joy. And I think all the musicians also feel the same way."

"Olivia will probably talk about today for the next 5 to 10 years, Emma. So thank you. Annie really appreciates what you've done too. She just couldn't come here to say that because she is alone with the baby." He said, grinning. "But she's really thankful for what you did, and she's looking forward to meet you tomorrow at Olivia's recital."

"It was a pleasure to have Olivia at the rehearsal." I stated. "Like I said, I think everyone needed a break from the craziness it's been the whole week, with the repertoire change and all. And Olivia helped easing away all that tension."

"I can't say I understand much of music, but I think you guys are doing a great job." He assured with a smile.

"Thank you." I said, smiling back.

Killian parked the car in front of the hotel. Before I could move, he went to my side of the car and opened the door for me to get out. We both stood, in front of each other, by the side of his car.

"Thank you again." He said, looking right into my eyes. "For what you did for Olivia. You didn't have to do that."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Killian." I replied. "You've been driving me back and forth for almost a week. You also didn't have to do that."

"I didn't _have_ to do that, Emma. But I _wanted_ to. In case you haven't noticed, I enjoy your company quite much." He said, taking a step closer. "And I'd like to keep enjoying your company. For as long as I can."

I could feel a blush climbing up through my neck. How could someone I met so little time ago make me feel like this?

Killian raised his hand to caress my cheek with his thumb. He took yet another step closer. I could feel his breath in my face. My heart started beating frantically in my chest.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? Specially when you blush." He asked, raising his other hand to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear.

I could feel everything moving in slow motion. His intent blue eyes burning a hole in mine. His expression was curious, as if he was asking something. Permission, maybe?

I diverted my gaze to the floor. Exactly like the last time, I knew what was coming. And I also knew the consequences and implications of that.

But this time, I didn't care.

I let him pull me even closer, so our noses were touching. I started back into his eyes, just to see how dark they've gotten. When our lips touched, the world stopped moving altogether. When he moved his lips over mine though, it started moving again. In full speed.

We kissed for what seemed like hours, or maybe a whole sunny day of spring.

When we pulled away, we stared at each other's eyes for a moment before any of us spoke.

"That was..." he started, breathing heavily.

"Mindblowing." I completed his sentence.

He smiled the biggest grin I've seen so far.

I looked at the sky to see the vibrant colors of the sunset in Malahide, noticing it was later than I thought.

"Goodnight, Killian." I said, giving him another quick kiss on the lips.

"Goodnight, Emma." He answered.

"I'll see you around."

"See you around, Emma."

* * *

A/N: This is the biggest chapter I wrote so far! I really hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please let me know what you think and leave a review. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Breakfast

I woke up with a smile as I thought back to the events of the previous night. I touched my lips, remembering the feel of Killian's lips moving against mine.

I yawned as I looked at the bedside table clock, seeing it was 7:30 in the morning.

Considering the success of yesterday's rehearsal, Gold texted yesterday, later in the night, saying we could have the day off.

Despite how tired I felt from such a stressing week, I didn't want to spend the day in bed.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, I went down the stairs to have breakfast.

I had just started walking towards the hotel's reataurant when Tink's voice called my name from the counter.

"Miss Swan," She said, handing me a folded piece of paper. "Killian asked me to give this to you as soon as you came down."

"Thank you." I said, unfolding the paper to find out it was a small note.

"_Emma,_

_If you're up to have breakfast somewhere else with a nice and handsome Irish for company, meet me at 8:30 in the parking lot._

_P.S.: Please come. :)_

_\- K."_

The note warmed my heart. I couldn't supress a smile, thinking about how much I was looking forward to seeing him again.

"You are good to him, you know." Tink interrupted my thoughts. "I haven't seen him smile this much since forever."

"We are not..." I started, trying to tell her we were not together or anything.

"Please, I know Killian too well. You don't need to try to explain to me your relationship status or anything, but I can see he likes you." She said, smiling. "Just... treat him right. He deserves happiness."

I looked at the clock behind the counter. It showed 8:27.

"Go, I know he is probably setting up something nice for you guys, and I don't want to be the one to hold you here!" Tink laughed.

I removed my sweater, staying just in my laced dress, as I walked to the parking lot, looking for signs of Killian.

I got confused when I didn't find him.

"Looking for someone, love?" Killian's voice from behind me made me jump.

"Maybe," I answered with a smirk, turning to face him. "Are you the nice and handsome Irish whom I'm having breakfast with?"

"Maybe." He said with a smile. "I'm happy you came." He added.

"Did you doubt I'd come?" I raised my eyebrows.

"_Doubt_ isn't quite the correct word." He paused, as if looking for the right thing to say. "I didn't know what to expect from you after last night's events." He said, touching his bottom lip with his index finger.

"I don't regret kissing you, Killian." Just to prove my point, I stepped forward and touched his lips with mine.

He was obviously surprised by my action, but only took a moment to respond to the kiss.

"I still don't regret it." I said, finally pulling back. "Unless, of course, you're the one regretting it."

He stood still, completely dumbfounded.

Suddenly, he grabbed my neck and pulled me back to his lips once more.

"Trust me when I tell you I don't regret it either, love." He smirked, pulling away. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure" I answered with a smile.

* * *

Killian stopped the car in a parking lota few yards from the beach, near a narrow pathway that went down to the sand through the vegetation.

"Have you ever been to any beaches in Ireland?" He asked, taking a basket from the back seat.

"No." I answered, getting out of the car. "Actually, I've never been to Ireland before. Are we having breakfast here?"

"More like a picnic, and not quite _here_," He started walking towards the pathway. "But yes."

I followed him on the pathway in silence.

When we made it to the sand, instead of going towards the plain area where several families were enjoying the sun and kids were building sand castles and running away from the waves, Killian started walking towards an empty area near the water, with the low waves hitting the rocks without force.

He stopped for a second, admiring the place, before sitting on a rock to remove his shoes.

After taking off his shoes, he started walking away from the populated area, with the water by his ankles.

"Are we going to swim to get wherever we're going?" I asked in disbelief.

Killian laughed.

"Try something new, love." He challenged. "It's called trust."

"I trust you." I replied. "I just don't think I came dressed to swim." I looked to my dress, to show my point.

"Take off your shoes and follow me." He said encouragingly.

I sat on the same rock he was sitting before and removed my sandals.

We walked for about ten minutes with our feet in the water until he pointed to an area where the sand started to show again, with natural pools of water everywhere.

The view was breathtaking.

Killian walked to a larger rock and opened his basket, taking a towel.

He opened the towel over the rock and sat on it, motioning for me to sit there as well.

I sat by Killian's side and he took my hand in his.

"I used to come here with my brother and Robin to play on these pools as a child." He explained, caressing my hand with his thumb. "The place never lost its magic."

"It's very peaceful here." I agreed, still astounded with the beauty of the place.

"Yes. Most people stay on the other side of the rocks, where we parked."

Just then my stomach grumbled.

"Well," He laughed. "I think we should eat something."

He opened his basket again, revealing a bottle of coffee, two cups and sandwiches.

"You surely came prepared." I said surprised.

"I'm always prepared, love." He said handing me a sandwich and pouring two cups of coffee.

"So, are you still going to Olivia's recital tonight?" Killian asked as we ate our sandwiches.

"Of course." I answered, taking a sip from the coffee. "Unless you don't want my company anymore."

"Love, if there is one thing you don't _ever_ need to worry about is me not wanting your company." He replied, his eyes boring into mine. "I want your company as much as I can get."

I blushed at his statement.

"You're not so bad yourself, Jones." I joked, trying to ease the tension.

He threw a small piece of bread from his sandwich at me, laughing.

"Hey!" I hit his arm playfully.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed. Just then I realized my mistake.

Instead of hitting his other arm, I hit the arm that was holding the very hot cup of coffee, which Killian spilled all over himself.

"Killian, I'm so sorry!" I handed him my sweater, so he could use it to clean his chest, afraid the hot liquid might have burned him.

He gave me a frustrated look and started walking towards the water.

"Killian, I said I'm sorry!" I started walking after him as he kept ignoring me.

When Killian reached the water, he bent down, so he could wash himself with the cold water from the sea.

"Killian, please..."

A cold splash of water interrupted me. Killian was laughing, standing up in front of me.

"I can't believe you got me wet!" I complained, annoyed.

"I can't believe you made me spill my coffee!" He said, faking an angry tone.

"You're unbelievable!"

I bent down and splashed him with even more water.

Killian got completely soaked. I started laughing as I noticed the state of his clothes were in.

"You certainly _are _going to pay for this, Swan." He said with a malicious smile, coming in my direction.

I took off running, trying to get away from him. Killian immediately started running after me.

"I'm going to catch you, Emma!" He yelled, laughing.

"No, you are not!" I yelled back, aware of how close he was to catching me. Boy, he was _fast_!

A few seconds later Killian managed to grab my arm, which made me lose balance, falling on my back the wet sand. Because he had my arm, he went down as well, falling by my side.

A wave from the sea got us even more soaked, and we stared at each other, laughing hard.

"Are you okay?" He asked, always the gentleman.

"Yeah." I replied with a frown. "Just soaked to the bone."

He helped me stand up, getting towels from his basket for us to dry off.

* * *

When I got to my room, I noticed my phone beeping with unread messages from David and Mary Margaret.

_David (8:45 a.m.): Hey Emma! How are you doing?_

_David (10:32 a.m.): Emma, are you there?_

_Mary Margaret (10:58 a.m.): Hi Emma! Are you okay? David is getting worried about you. Is everything okay?_

I answered David's message first.

_Emma: Sorry, I left for breakfast and forgot the phone in my room. I'm fine, don't worry. :)_

I decided to have a shower before doing anything else.

I really needed to get out of the wet clothes I was wearing or I would certainly end up with a cold.

After taking a shower and getting dressed with dry and clean clothes, I checked my phone to see David didn't answer yet.

He was probably at work by now.

Just then I remembered that I didn't reply Mary Margaret's message yet.

I sent her a text.

_Emma: Hi Mary Margaret. Sorry! I left for breakfast and forgot to take the phone with me._

She answered right away.

_Mary Margaret: Hey Emma! Is everything okay?_

_Emma: Everything is great. :)_

_Mary Margaret: You certainly had a nice breakfast to spend so much time eating._

Trust Mary Margaret to get suspicious over a long breakfast.

_Emma: I just happened to have company. I wasn't only eating during all this time. ;)_

_Mary Margaret: Ohh. Some cute guy from the orchestra? Or a sweet Irish guy maybe?_

Of course she would go down the romantic route.

I decided to tell her the truth.

_Emma: Actually, your second guess isn't quite far from the truth._

_Mary Margaret: Really? Emma, this is great! Who? Is he nice?_

_Emma: Yeah, he is nice. I think I kinda care about him. He owns the hotel I'm staying in, and he was the first person I met here._

_Mary Margaret: How did you guys meet?_

_Emma: I saw him at the hotel reception on my first day here. The following week he took his niece to the concert we performed and he recognized there. The rest is history..._

_Mary Margaret: Is he cute? Tell me more! What is his name?_

_Emma: Yes, he is cute, haha. Blue eyes, dark hair. He is a really sweet person. His name is Killian._

_Mary Margaret: Emma, I'm really happy for you. I knew you'd find romance in this trip! :)_

_Emma: Thank you, Mary Margaret. Just don't mention anything to David, okay?_

_Mary Margaret: I'm sure David understands that you're an adult woman, and can make your own decisions. But I'll respect your wish. :)_

_Emma: Thanks! I know David understands that, but I'm afraid he'll always have the "big brother syndrome"._

_Mary Margaret: I know. But he is looking after you. Look, I gotta go back to work, talk to you later! Take care, and keep me updated about your Irish man. Xoxo._

_Emma: Okay, Mary Margaret! Talk to you later! :)_

* * *

A/N: I know this is not a really big chapter, but I didn't want to keep you from getting a new chapter any longer, so I decided to split the next chapter in two and give you this one sooner. I'm sorry for taking longer to update, but my vacations are over and I don't have as much time to write as I had before. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed it! Let me know what you think. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Piano Concerto No. 20

My appearance was okay, I thought to myself as I looked at my reflection on the mirror.

I was wearing a dark blue knee-long dress and my hair was falling in loose curls over my shoulders.

I left the bathroom and checked my phone to see what time it was. I still had 5 minutes before I had to leave and meet with Killian at the lobby, but I decided to go downstairs earlier instead of waiting alone in my room.

The lobby was almost empty, except for a few people chatting animatedly by the entrance.

It didn't take more than a minute for Killian to walk through the front door, with a smile on his face as he noticed me.

He looked incredibly handsome, with a blue bottoned shirt that enhanced the color of his eyes.

When he got close enough, he circled my waist with his arms and kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Hi," Killian said whispered between our lips.

"Hi," I said, pecking his lips one more time, smiling afterwards.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you." I said, trying to turn away so he couldn't see me blushing.

"Hey," He said, touching my cheek with his thumb. "Don't hide." He kissed my cheek. "You look beautiful with this color on your cheeks."

I snorted, hitting his arm playfully.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked.

I nodded.

He slipped his hand in mine, interlacing our fingers as we walked to the car.

* * *

I furrowed my brow as Killian parked his car in front of a music store.

"They have a small concert room in the back." He explained. "It's quite small, but good enough for local teachers."

"We have one like this in Storybrooke." I replied with a smile.

We walked through the store, entering a room filled with chairs and small stage with a grand piano at the front.

"Emma!" Said a happy voice in the front row. "You came!"

A very enthusiastic Olivia started running in our direction, jumping with joy as she approached us.

"I said I would be here, didn't I?" I asked with a smile.

"You did!" She smiled. "I'm so happy you kept you promise."

"I don't like to break promises." I replied. "By the way, you look very beautiful tonight."

Olivia was wearing a blue long dress that matched her eyes. Her dark black hair had a blue bow, matching the outfit and making her eyes look even more blue. In that moment I noticed how much she looked like Killian.

"Thank you! You look beautiful too."

"Thank you, Olivia."

"Hey, what about me?" Killian interrupted, feigning being hurt. "Aren't you going to notice your uncle standing here too?"

"Of course I am, silly!" Olivia laughed, lifting her arms to be picked up by him.

Then her smile grew even bigger as she noticed something. "Look, we all match!" She exclaimed, noticing the color of my dress and Killian's shirt. Me and Killian laughed at Olivia's statement.

"So, where does the princess pianist wants us to sit?" He asked her.

"Next to mommy and daddy!" She pointed to Annie and a black-haired man I guessed was Killian's brother, Liam.

Just then Annie turned back, waving at us with a smile. We approached them slowly, making way through the multiple kids running around the place before the recital started.

"Hey, Killian." She said with a smile. "I see Olivia already managed to be picked up."

"Always." Killian laughed. "How are you, Annie?"

"I'm fine. Better now with Liam at home to change Sarah's diapers." She said jokingly, touching her husband's sholder.

"Just admit you missed me, Annie." Liam stood up with the baby in his arms, joining the conversation with a smirk. Sarah was a cute mess of blond curls sticking out everywhere, with a pink bow matching her pink outfit. She didn't look much like Olivia, except for the blue eyes, which were, apparently, a common trait among the Jones family.

"You know I did." She said with a smile. Liam kissed her cheek sweetly.

"Guys, this is Emma." Killian motioned towards me.

"Nice to meet you, Emma." Annie said with a smile. "It's nice to finally meet the woman whom my daughter is so smitten with."

"Just our daughter?" Liam teased, raising his eyebrow toward Killian, who put Olivia back on her feet as we both blushed profusely.

"Liam, let's not make Emma uncomfortable.", Annie intervened.

"Right, as if you didn't know my baby brother is just as smitten with her as Olivia." Liam retorted. "Probably even more, as I'm sure Olivia has no intention of dating Emma, although she'd love to have her as an aunt."

"I won't discuss my relationship status with you, Liam." Killian said, annoyed.

"So there is a relationship after all?" Liam provoked.

Killian sighed. I started to wonder where this whole thing would go. We didn't discuss our relationship until now, if there was one to be discussed. But if it came to that point, what would happen? I was going back to the U.S. in two weeks. I lived and worked in Storybrooke, Maine. Killian lived and worked in Malahide, Ireland.

"Ladies and gentleman, I'd like to invite everyone to your seats, so we can begin the program." A redhead woman around her mid-forties announced, pushing away my thoughts.

"We saved a seat for you." Annie said with a smile, motioning for us to seat at the second row.

"Thanks." Killian smiled back.

* * *

"Tired?" Killian caressed my hand as he noticed me staring into nothing specifically. We sat in a small but cozy pizza place after Olivia's recital, along with Annie, Liam, the children and a few other families I recognized from the concert room earlier. Sarah was fast asleep in Annie's lap and Olivia was running animatedly around the tables with one of her piano little friends.

Olivia had played beautifully, as expected, and so did the other students. She was lucky to have such a great teacher as Mrs. Irina Klassen, a german woman who moved to Ireland a few years ago, according to what Annie had told me as we ate.

Since everyone was hungry after the recital, we decided to have dinner together, and as Liam said, this was one the best places to eat pizza in the area. After the main conversation died, I started drifting my thoughts to the concert tomorrow night and an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach.

"Not really." I answered with a half-smile. "Just thinking about tomorrow."

"What's scaring you about tomorrow? Because last time I checked, you could perform the thing just fine." He paused, raising an eyebrow. "It's not about being nervous, is it?" He inquired.

"No." I sighed. "It's just that Concerto, specifically..."

The sentence died before I could finish it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know." I admitted, looking at my hand, now safely tucked inside his hand. Killian made feel safer than I did for a very long time.

"Hey, you don't have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable. Just know that I'm here for you, okay?" He used his free hand to touch my cheek. "But if you do want to talk, I'm here too."

"Thank you." I said sincerely, looking in his eyes.

"Emma, my friend Jason wants to meet you!" Olivia said loudly, interrupting our interaction, pulling by the hand an oriental boy, who was smiling shyly. He seemed to be about her age, and I remembered him playing a Minuet by Bach at the recital.

"Hi Jason" I smiled warmly. "It's very nice to meet a handsome young pianist like you."

"Thank you, Miss Emma. Did you see me playing today?" He asked expectantly.

"Yes, I did. And I think you played very well."

His smile widened.

"Is it true that you are a world famous pianist? And that you can play better than anyone else?" He asked sweetly, with expectation in his eyes.

Everyone at the table laughed at how serious he seemed to consider that matter.

"Of course she is, I told you that before!" Olivia answered irritadly before I could say anything.

"Well, there are a few people who know my work, but I'm certainly not that famous, Olivia. And I'm sure there's a lot of people who can play much better than I do." I replied calmly.

"But you are American, right? And you are playing in Europe." Olivia inquired, furrowing her brow.

"Yes." I answered.

"So you must be very famous, Miss Emma." Jason stated.

Jason seemed satisfied with the fact that I was American, but still looked like he wanted something else.

Olivia must've noticed too, because she gave him a little nudge on the ribs.

"Come on, she won't bite." Olivia said with a reprimanding tone. "Now ask her!"

"Do you think... Do you think you could give me an autograph?" He asked with his little cheeks going red.

"Of course I can." I smiled. "Do you have a notebook or something?"

"No..."

"Here mate." Liam joined, offering Jason a piece of paper.

I signed Jason's autograph and gave the paper back to him.

"Thank you."

He paused, as if thinking whether to say something else or not.

"Hm, do you think I could have a kiss too? And a picture?" He asked hesitantly.

Everyone on the table laughed.

"Of course you can." I motioned for him to come closer and kissed his cheek. Liam picked his phone and took a picture of us, then another one of me and Olivia.

"Hey Jason, let your mom know I'll send the picture to her phone, okay?" Annie told Jason.

"Thanks." He said with a grin.

"Come on, Jason, let's play!" Olivia demanded, getting impatient.

Jason put the autograph in his pocket and went back to running around with Olivia.

"Mate, I think you have some serious competition here." Liam teased, smirking.

"Shut up." Killian answered, rolling his eyes.

* * *

"Thank you for tonight, Killian." I said as he parked his car in front of the hotel. "I had a really great time with your family."

"It was my pleasure, love." He smiled, then paused.

"So, can I get a kiss from the lady too? Or the last one available for the night was used on that kid?"

"Yes, you can." I answered, closing the gap between us, but stopping a centimeter from his lips and making a turn, kissing his cheek.

I laughed silently, getting out of the car.

I barely took a couple of steps toward the hotel door, when suddenly I felt a hand grabbing mine, making me turn around.

"You really call that a kiss, Swan?" Killian asked. He didn't give me time to respond, as he closed the small space between our lips, kissing just the outside of my lip, then my chin and my cheek, before finally kissing on the lips.

"_That_ was a proper kiss, Swan." Killian said, pulling away.

"I assume it was." I teased.

He kissed me one more time, just a light peck on the lips.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately I have work to do during the day." He replied with a frown. "But I promise to be in the front row at the concert at night."

"See you at night, then."

"Don't miss me too much." He smirked.

I rolled my eyes, walking towards the hotel door.

* * *

Sunday morning was pretty lazy. I watched two movies on the TV and took a shower.

After lunch I decided to take a nap to make time go faster, since I didn't sleep very well at night. I didn't want to think too much about the concert and attract that uneasy feeling to my stomach again.

The incessant ring of the phone woke me up.

Half asleep, I grabbed the phone, the caller ID showing it was David.

"Hi David." I answered groggily.

"Hey Em. Please tell me I didn't wake you again." He sounded concerned.

"You did, but it's okay." I laughed, sitting up and looking at the clock to see what time it was. It showed 5 p.m. "Shame on me for taking a nap after lunch."

"After _lunch_?" David asked, incredulously. "Emma, it's 2 p.m. here, which means it's probably 5 p.m. in Dublin. Lunch was a lifetime ago."

"I know." I sighed. "I didn't sleep very well last night, so I was trying to catch some sleep before the concert."

"I'm glad you managed take a long nap, then." He paused. "How are you?"

"That depends."

"Emotionally?" He inquired.

"Ask me again after tonight." I answered taking a deep breath, not knowing what else to say.

"Emma, you know mom and dad would've been proud of you, right?" He asked, reassuringly.

"Would they?" I defied. "Because you know that if it wasn't for me they'd probably still be here."

"They loved you, Emma." David said firmly. "They wanted to be there. It was _not _your fault. You can't possibly know for sure that if it weren't for you wanting them to be there they would've lived."

"I know I can't. But I can't stop thinking about the _what if_." I said, my eyes filling with tears.

"Emma, stop beating yourself over this. Go to that stage tonight and play with your heart. It's a strong Concerto. Pour your emotions through it. Promise me you'll at least try to do your best."

"I promise." I said sincerely.

"Good. Mary Margaret wishes you luck tonight. And me too. We miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Let me know how it went later, okay?" He asked.

"Okay." I promised. "Bye, David, and thanks for calling."

"Anytime. Bye, Emma."

* * *

"Five-minute call, Emma." Gold said as I was finishing putting on a silver clasp in my hair.

I took a deep breath and looked at my reflection on the mirror of the dressing room.

I was wearing a black simple long dress and my hair was falling loose, except for the clasp that'd keep a few strands of hair from falling over my eyes during the concert.

I took a deep breath and walked in the direction of the stage.

All the musicians were in place, finishing tuning their instruments together under Gold's guidance.

Gold turned to the small opening in the back where I was, motioning for me to go onstage.

I bowed at the public as everybody clapped, trying to find Killian in the crowd, but the lights were blinding me, so I couldn't see much.

I walked slowly to the black grand piano and Gold motioned for the string instruments to start. They started the intimate and sad melody that reminded me so clearly of that night in New York.

I knew I'd have to start playing very soon, but I couldn't keep myself from thinking about my parents. Whom would never get the chance to see me play again. Whom would never get to meet Mary Margaret. Whom would never get to see David get married and have his own children.

Why did they have to die? I kept listening to David's voice in my head saying it wasn't my fault, but if it wasn't my fault, then why did I have to feel so frustrated about it all the time?

Gold motioned for me to get ready to start. I took a deep breath and started the first notes. I could feel the tears burning my eyes, but instead of letting them fall, I decided to turn each of them into notes.

All the sadness, all the guilt, all that I could feel inside me, poured into the notes of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20.

Imagining each note as a tear and a scream coming from my chest, the first movement was done. And the second.

And before I could think of it, I was playing the last notes from the third movement.

The crowd erupted in a standing ovation.

At Gold's sign, I stood up, turned and bowed at the audience.

Gold greeted me and Belle with a proud smile on his face. Apparently, the performance was okay.

After the rest of the orchestra stood up and bowed to the public, I walked straight to the dressing room and dressed back to my old jeans and brown sweater.

When I left the room, with my stuff already gathered, Killian was at the side of the door with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey." He took a step closer.

"I don't think _extremely well,_ _outstanding _or even_ perfect _are words good enough to describe your performance tonight." He said proudly.

"Thank you." I said nervously.

I wanted desperately to leave that place.

"Do you need a ride back to Malahide?" He asked, as if reading my mind.

I nodded.

* * *

The entire ride was made in silence.

Killian walked me to my door also without saying a word.

We stopped so I could find the key inside my bag.

"Can I make you a cup of tea?" He asked when I finally opened the door.

"I'm fine. Just tired." I lied. "But thanks."

"Emma, you stayed in silence for the last 20 minutes." He stated. "I know you're not willing to talk about it, and that's okay, but I can see you're in distress. The tea will make you feel better."

"I'm not..."

"Please let me at least make you a cup of tea, so you can sleep a little better. We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to." He pleaded, desperation filling his voice.

"Okay." I gave in. I didn't feel like picking up a fight, and although I wasn't tired or sleepy, being alone in that moment didn't seem to be any better than Killian's company.

He entered the room after me, going straight towards the water heater, getting the tea ready.

I sat on the bed, removing my shoes.

"Here." He came a few minutes later with two hot cups of tea.

"Thanks."

We drank in silence, and when my cup was finally empty Killian took it tenderly from my hand, and walked to the small table so he could leave the cups there.

"Last time I played this Concerto was the night my parents died." I murmured inaudibly, facing the opposite wall.

"Sorry, love?" He turned around slowly.

"The piece I played tonight. The last time I played it was when my parents died." I repeated more loudly, this time with tears filling my eyes.

He sat in front of me on the bed, without saying a word, resting his hand on my knee.

"It was three years ago on. It was the first time I would perform specifically this Concerto and I really wanted mom and dad to be there, because they always were there whenever I performed. But this time around they had to work until very close to the time of the concert, but I insisted so much that they promised to be there, along with David."

"The conductor had already given the five-minute call, and I was so upset they didn't arrive yet. So I called and called, and no one would pick up, not even David. I was really pissed, but I went onstage and performed, angry that they weren't there."

"After the concert one of the teachers approached me and said she had something very important to tell me. She walked me to her office and asked me to sit down. Then she said a terrible accident had happened. It was raining so much that apparently my parents couldn't see much in front of them, and they crashed. David was in the back seat so he survived. He was in a coma for almost a month, but he lived."

At this point I was crying like I didn't do in a very long time.

Killian involved me with his arms, letting me ruin his shirt.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Emma." He said quietly. "But it was not your fault."

"David has been saying that to me for the last three years." I replied.

"And he is right." He continued. "It was _not _your fault. You can't control things. It's not how it works. You can't control the weather, you can't control your parents' decisions. _They_ decided to go to your concert because they loved you and knew how important their presence was to you. And it was not your fault."

I kept crying until I didn't have any more tears to cry.

Suddenly I started to realize how much Killian's company made me feel better.

"I'm sorry I ruined your shirt." I laughed in embarrassment, wiping my eyes and sitting straight so I could look at him.

"It's alright." Killian smiled, staring into my eyes with a smile. "It was for a good cause. You can even keep it if you want."

I laughed at his offer.

That's when I noticed how close we were. I closed the small gap between us, kissing him.

I could almost hear Mary Margaret's voice in my ear saying, _live a little, Emma._

So I decided to do just that.

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry to keep you waiting for soooo long! But I didn't have the time to finish this chapter sooner, so I hope you'll accept my apologies. Please let me know what you think and leave a review! :)


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